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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537887">Under The Moonlight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bouncymouse/pseuds/bouncymouse'>bouncymouse</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shinra Holiday 2020 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020), Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, New Year's Eve, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Shameless Smut, ShinraHoliday2020, Smut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 22:28:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,510</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bouncymouse/pseuds/bouncymouse</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It's New Year in Cosmo Canyon, and thanks to some careful planning, Reno happens to bump into a familiar face... For #ShinraHoliday2020</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Elena/Tseng (Compilation of FFVII), Tifa Lockhart/Reno</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Shinra Holiday 2020 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2057700</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Shinra Holiday 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Under The Moonlight</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p><i>Finally!</i> Day 7 of #ShinraHoliday2020 is DONE! For the prompt "Under the Moonlight."</p><p>I thought Day 1 was self-indulgent. I was wrong. This is unashamed fluff (and smut) and I do not care.</p><p>Hope you guys enjoyed the holidays :D Normal service <s>and kicking the shit outta Reno</s> resumes soon.</p><p>Thank you (as always) for the comments and kudos. Much love &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Reno sat on the bed and considered his options.</p><p>This was a novel concept, even to him, the Turk that travelled the globe and back again. He’d slept in many strange, uncomfortable places, and his current location definitely fell on the weirder end of the spectrum. The tent was swankier than a few of the apartments he’d lived in.</p><p>It had <em>rooms. </em></p><p>Tiny lights around the wooden struts bathed the ivory canvas in a golden glow. They illuminated a ridiculous number of cushions and blankets, and picked out the golden edges of the drawers and tables. He’d upended the contents of his holdall over the squat leather sofa, trying to find his toothbrush.</p><p><em>Furniture?</em> What the fuck? To say he was out of his comfort zone was an understatement.</p><p>He ran his hand idly across the bed. The fur throw tickled his palm. Spacious enough to sleep one comfortably, it would be a tight squeeze for two should the need arise.</p><p>Wishful thinking. He might be terminally cocky, but he wasn’t a total bastard. He’d paid for two tents and didn’t he fucking know it? The credit card bill was something he could worry about next year.</p><p>He couldn’t settle. These were the jitters he got pre-mission, that had him pacing the halls and winding up the other Turks. He usually choked them down with the same mindless rituals, checking ammo, loading and reloading. Quick fixes to keep his hands busy and his mind distracted.</p><p>Today, there was no handgun under his jacket, no ammunition to check. He had nothing to take his mind off the self-induced predicament he found himself in.</p><p>He should’ve never let Elena break him. Rookie error.</p><p>It started with a simple question. </p><p>
  <em> So... you’re asking her? </em>
</p><p>Single-word answers weren’t a deterrent, even when he ignored her. She started answering her own questions, filling in Reno’s blanks. And that was when the lid came off the can of worms and she drew him into the madness.</p><p>He couldn’t just invite Tifa along, that wouldn’t work. She had the bar to run and the kids to look after and anyway, why would she just drop everything to travel to Cosmo Canyon with him of all people? It had to be more casual… free from implication. A chance encounter.</p><p>He needed to just bump into her, Elena decided.</p><p>Sure… Just bump into her… a million miles from Edge. That was likely.</p><p>Then Elena really got her teeth stuck into scheming, and Rude somehow got involved. Suddenly, there were worms everywhere and Reno couldn’t even find the can anymore, nevermind the lid. They dragged Reeve into the mix, and the whole thing felt like the elaborate plot of a cheesy movie. Something was going to go wrong.</p><p>There was a crate of beer and half a bottle of whiskey in his apartment. He pictured them while he picked at the fur beneath his fingers. He could’ve been back there, getting pass-out drunk by eleven-thirty like he usually did. Instead, he was here. </p><p><em>Waiting.</em> </p><p>This was a fucking terrible idea.</p><p>His PHS vibrated. He flicked to his incoming messages, trying to ignore the knot in his stomach when he saw Reeve’s name. <em>‘ETA one hour. Consider us even.’</em></p><p>Fair enough, Reeve owed him a favour. Actually, he owed Reno money, but what were a few unpaid gambling debts amongst friends?</p><p>Reeve laughed—actually <em>laughed</em>—in Reno’s face when he handed over the booking for the second tent. Risking the wrath of friends like Tifa’s? Reno must have it bad.</p><p>That was when he lost his temper. If they were just going to take the piss, he’d stay in Edge. Fuck trying to do something nice. Elena thought it was hilarious. <em>Don’t get your panties in a twist.</em></p><p>Another message popped up while he was staring at the cracked screen. <em>‘She’s looking forward to seeing you. I hope you know what you’re doing.’</em></p><p>He tossed the PHS aside. Of course he fucking didn’t.</p><p>Stupid Elena and her stupid fucking plans. And stupid Rude for getting involved too. He was the voice of reason, not some kind of bald Cupid in shades and a designer suit, for fuck’s sake.</p><p>He shoved his stuff back into his holdall and left through the flap at the front of the tent, hands jammed in his pockets. However ridiculous this plan was, it didn’t stand a chance if he was still staking out the place next door when she arrived. That was a bridge he would have to cross when he came to it.</p><p>Maybe he’d burn it.</p><p>It was still fucking cold, even though the weather was less vicious this far West. Cosmo Canyon was free from the snow that plagued the Midgar Area. Instead, he faced a bitter wind that whistled through the forest of tents he stood in. He zipped his jacket up, wishing he’d picked a sweater instead of a shirt. The breeze stung the bare skin exposed by his unbuttoned collar and the rips in his jeans. What he needed was a drink to warm him up a touch.</p><p>He noted the number on the sign staked into the ground outside his tent and wandered back across the field.</p><p>The canyon still smelt exactly how he remembered it, a heady scent of burning wood that curled through the air. It took him back to a different time, not exactly better, of missions in backwater towns and nights spent under the stars, of cigarettes shared with Rude and jokes at the expense of the grunts they travelled with. Those days were a lot fucking simpler, when the company was big and untouchable and inherently right.</p><p>Before the doubts came creeping in.</p><p>He passed below the weathered wooden sign, ignoring a harassed lackey with a clipboard in his hands. Sure enough, an exasperated voice called him back. “Excuse me… sir… you can’t just…”</p><p>Reno turned, smiling politely.</p><p>“We’re only open to visitors for the New Year’s festival,” said the man, brandishing the clipboard. “Are you a guest?”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Then I need to see your wristband.”</p><p>Reno frowned. He remembered being given some kind of lurid pink band in his welcome pack, but had no idea where he left it.</p><p>“How about you let me through this time, and next time I’ll definitely make sure I bring it?” He smiled a little wider, baring his teeth.</p><p>The man was staring at his hair now, gears turning behind his eyes. Reno ruffled his fingers through the scarlet strands for emphasis. It rarely took long.</p><p>The eyes settled on his cheekbones, where the slim red tattoos cut across his skin. They widened. “You’re… N-no… It’s fine… c-carry on.”</p><p>He patted the man on the shoulder. Occasionally, being instantly recognisable as one of the President’s right-hand men could come in handy. His reputation preceeded him.</p><p>He headed through the archway, ignoring the way the lackey leapt aside as he passed. A tiny part of him curled up, ashamed. He wasn’t the monster they thought he was. Maybe once, trapped in a doomed cycle that he couldn’t escape, telling himself it was all for the greater good. <em>Balancing the scales</em>, that’s what Tseng called it. Those days were long gone, a stain on his tortured conscience. People couldn’t see that though, they never would.</p><p>He didn’t blame them.</p><p>Maybe that was why he was doing this. He stared at the scene and tried to get his bearings. The Cosmo Candle still glowed, flames licking the early evening sky, and he recognised the huts built into the sandstone, green thatched roofs sprinkled across the landscape. There, the familiarity ended. Stalls lined the space in front of him, pink-faced revellers already milling around and sampling their wares. There was a large stage set back from the bonfire, illuminated by spotlights, windmills just visible behind a banner that bore the words <em>‘Happy New Year from Cosmo Canyon’.</em> People were laughing and chatting, and he could smell food frying and hear the sizzle in the air.</p><p>The cynical side of him could see the money changing hands. Tourism took a hit when Meteor fell, the changing world landscape causing a whole heap of problems across the globe. It warmed his heart to see that people weren’t above abandoning their scruples in favour of a quick buck.</p><p>There was a bar somewhere, he remembered. Indoors and undoubtedly a warmer option than the stalls in front of him. His instinct was to gravitate towards it, but then he’d risk missing her. She’d head for the market, he assumed, once she settled into her tent.</p><p>He didn’t even have a number to call her.</p><p>He noticed a stall with a sign bearing a beer-stein motif. It wasn’t long before he was standing beside a wooden barrel pretending to be a table, studying the contents of a plastic cup he paid through the nose for. He swallowed down half the beer before he realised he should probably pace himself. His dignity could survive being a little merry, but his wallet couldn’t.</p><p>Reno sighed, hunkering down into the collar of his jacket and scuffing his shoe against the ground. Everything about his demeanour screamed ‘do not approach’ and he was happy enough to hide behind the surly Turk persona. If he was totally honest, he was really fucking nervous. Good job he’d abandoned honesty a long time ago.</p><p>Eyes fixed on the entrance to the market ahead of him, he waited.</p>
<hr/><p>Tifa stood in her tent, listening to the wind whistle outside, staring at her reflection in the full-length mirror they’d thoughtfully provided. She wasn’t used to this kind of luxury. She’d walked around with wide eyes, running her fingers over the plush fabrics and polished wooden furniture, half-expecting somebody to walk in and tell her she’d gotten it wrong. There were fancy toiletries in the bathroom—the <em>bathroom</em>—and a bottle of champagne on the coffee table.</p><p>The glow from the fairy-lights was warm and mellow, illuminating her worried eyes and bare skin as she hovered, clothing scattered around her on the throws and furs and cushions, trying to work out what the hell she was going to wear.</p><p>Dressing for a New Year’s Eve behind the bar was far simpler. Dark colours to deter stains, maybe a glimpse more skin to encourage tips, flat shoes to counter long hours spent on her feet. This year, the rules were different. Actually, the rules were in the pages of the rule book she’d ripped up and thrown out of the window the moment she accepted Reeve’s offer.</p><p>What on Gaia was she doing?</p><p>He turned up a couple of days after Christmas, grumbling that he needed to cancel his New Year’s plans. WRO needed him in Icicle Inn again. Tifa half-listened to the conversation as he sat at the bar with Barret and Cid, chatting about the New Year he would’ve had in Cosmo Canyon. The festival was in its third year and this one promised to be the best yet, with craft stalls and fireworks, food and drinks and music. It sounded so lovely, the perfect celebration to send off the old year and ring in the new.</p><p>Maybe he noticed her wistful expression because he offered her the booking without charge. He’d already lost the money, and somebody should get to enjoy the festival. He’d be travelling to Icicle Inn via the Western Continent thanks to the weather, and it was only a minor detour to drop her off in Cosmo Canyon first.</p><p>Cid thought it was a great idea. He and Barret would man the bar. She deserved to kick back and relax. Still, she wavered. It seemed a little too impulsive, a little too out of her comfort zone. She politely declined, despite Barret’s protestations, thanking them all the same for the offer.</p><p>That was that, or so she thought.</p><p>Reno turned up later that evening, Rude in tow. She knocked over the beer she was pouring and avoided eye contact when she realised he was laughing at her.</p><p>Afterwards, she passed by their table and overheard their conversation. Reno was sulking. Rude was working over New Year, leaving him to play third wheel to Tseng and Elena. Feeling brave, she asked Reno what the trio’s plans were.</p><p>Cosmo Canyon. The coincidence felt a little too obvious, like fate pulled all the extra aces from her sleeve and threw them all down on the table.</p><p>Tifa mentioned Reeve’s offer. Rude joked that she should take him up on it and tag along with the Turks. Somebody needed to keep Reno out of trouble if he wasn’t around.</p><p>She <em>couldn’t.</em></p><p>Only Reno was watching her with this loaded smirk, and common sense suddenly wasn’t available to her, chased away by thoughts of his mouth on hers. Against her better judgement, she agreed.</p><p>It was crazy. <em>She</em> was crazy. You couldn’t just up sticks and travel halfway across the world on a whim. Except she <em>had.</em></p><p>She picked up the dress she’d already cast aside three times. The burgundy silk was cool against her skin. Jeans and a sweater would be far more practical…</p><p>Tifa squinted, considering her appearance. She thought of the smirk, of his mouth on hers, of his hands creeping beneath the hem of her shirt and determination blossomed through her chest.</p><p>An hour later she stood below the wooden archway, arms wrapped around herself to ward off the chill. The sky was inky black and cloudless, the moon and stars twinkling overhead. More lights lit her path, winding through the struts and railings, leading her down towards the Cosmo Candle and the glow of a festival in full swing.</p><p>She hesitated, staring into the crowd that milled around the stalls. Despite the cold, there were sequined dresses and bare legs on display. To her left, the heat of the bonfire was tangible, beckoning her closer. Should she play it cool and bump into him or actively seek him out? Uncertainty glued her feet to the ground. She needed something to still her nerves, a little Cosmo courage to take the edge off.</p><p>This was ridiculous. She was meeting a friend, that was all.</p><p>Her eyes settled on a sign, the outline of a beer-stein burnt into the wood. It seemed as good a starting point as any. Digging her nails into clammy palms, she headed for the stall. She joined the end of the queue, standing on her tiptoes to read the chalkboard menu.</p><p>“Fancy seeing you here.”</p><p>Tifa turned in the direction of the insubordinate drawl. There were barrels set out instead of tables, and he was leaning against one, empty plastic cups scattered around his elbows. An outdoor heater glowed orange behind him, and she could feel the warmth of it when she abandoned the queue and crossed the space to meet him. Nerves trapped her heart in her throat.</p><p>He’d left his jacket on the table beside him, revealing the slim cut of his shirt and sleeves rolled up to the elbows. He looked far more casual than the other revellers, a smirk plastered on his face and mischief in his eyes.</p><p>“Thought I’d have to celebrate by myself,” he added, when she didn’t respond. He very deliberately looked her up and down. “Fuck me, Lockhart. Look at you.”</p><p>She didn’t know if it was the glowing heater or his hungry expression, but heat crept down her neck. There were high stools set out alongside the barrels and she took the one next to him, feeling self-conscious as she settled on her seat.</p><p>“I didn’t know what to wear,” she admitted. “Everyone seems pretty dressed up though, so maybe this is okay?”</p><p>She crossed her legs and Reno’s eyes snagged on the thigh-high boot that the slit in her dress exposed. He swallowed, hard.</p><p>Tifa adjusted her skirt. “Where are the others?”</p><p>“No idea. Drink?”</p><p>She nodded.</p><p>“The beer’s alright.” Reno pushed off from the barrel, knocking an empty cup off the edge as he did.</p><p>“So I can see. It’s no good out of a plastic cup though.”</p><p>He stooped to pick it up. “Tell me about it. You don’t strike me as a beer drinker.”</p><p>“Not usually, no.”</p><p>“Cocktails?”</p><p>She grimaced. “This early?”</p><p>“It’s not <em>that</em> early.”</p><p>“I’d like to live to see the New Year,” she joked.</p><p>“Hmm, spirits then…” His ever-present smirk widened. “My kind of girl.”</p><p>“Vodka-tonic, please.”</p><p>“Double vodka-tonic, coming right up.”</p><p><em>“Single,”</em> she corrected him, erring on the side of caution.</p><p>“I sure hope you are.” </p><p>Heart racing, she watched him saunter to the back of the queue.</p>
<hr/><p>Things were looking up. Reno paid the barman, not even annoyed by the lack of change he received from the crisp twenty he handed over. Suddenly, he was glad of Elena’s meddling. Tifa was nervous, all shy smiles and fidgeting hands and that he could work with.</p><p>She looked like a gift in burgundy satin, waiting to be unwrapped. The dress clung to every curve, sweeping the ground as she walked. He’d have been fine if it wasn’t for the boots. It was all too easy to picture them resting on his shoulders as he fucked her.</p><p>Thoughts like that would get him into a lot of trouble.</p><p>Reno <em>loved</em> trouble.</p><p>He wandered back over, holding out her drink. “So… want to look around?”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>He grabbed his jacket, and she fell in beside him, heels clicking on the icy ground. They’d scattered grit to make it less treacherous, and it crunched beneath his shoes as they walked. The stalls were all carbon copies of each other, peddling the same homemade tat you could pick up in Edge if you knew where to look, just displayed with a little more flair and a far higher price tag.</p><p>Tifa stared, wide-eyed, at the selection. “Some of this stuff is so pretty.”</p><p>He laughed. “Is it?”</p><p>“Yeah… look at those.” She was pointing at a set of wooden dream-catchers, the intricate webs decorated with shimmering beads and feathers. “Marlene would love one of those.”</p><p>He squinted. “They’re… shiny.”</p><p>When he glanced at her, there was a wry smile on her lips.</p><p>“This doesn’t strike me as your kind of scene,” she said.</p><p>They passed a stall selling candles in an eye-watering rainbow of colours and scents. Reno shrugged, fighting the urge to sneeze. “Guess not.”</p><p>“Why did you decide to come here?”</p><p>Because it seemed like <em>her</em> kind of scene. He grinned. “Not a fucking clue.”</p><p>Tifa pursed her lips at his glib answer, the corners of her mouth betraying another smile.</p><p>“Sounded like a good time,” he said, slowing to look at the trinkets on offer in another store. Something was off. He looked back, distracted. “Beats spending New Year in Edge.”</p><p>Tifa didn’t notice, stopping in front of a display filled with sparkling jewellery. She was shivering, fingers clamped under her bare arms. “Reeve made it sound like a lot of fun.”</p><p>“Yeah...” </p><p>There was a small group of people watching them, wearing the usual indignant expressions he loathed. He could smell trouble on the horizon.</p><p>“These are beautiful.” She leaned a little closer to study a pair of silver earrings on a velvet cushion.</p><p>Reno tore his attention away from the group. They weren’t a threat, just more people determined to show him how much they disliked him. </p><p>“They’re nice...”</p><p>She turned. “What’s wrong?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>She frowned.</p><p>“Nothing,” he insisted, forcing a smile. “You want them?”</p><p>“Oh… no…”</p><p>The bright lights from the jewellery display lit her face, her shy smile warming him from the inside out. Suddenly, the whispers and stares didn’t seem so important.</p><p>“You do,” he pressed.</p><p>Tifa shook her head. “I don’t… they’re just pretty.”</p><p>The opportunity presented itself. She wore her dark hair twisted up, exposing the curve of her neck. When he draped his jacket around her shoulders, he could smell her skin, floral and sweet.</p><p>His mouth hovered dangerously close to her ear. “If you want something, learn to say so.”</p><p>She turned, nose bumping against his cheek. When her teeth grazed her lip, he swore he felt it zipping along his nerves. </p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I think you know <em>exactly</em> what I mean.”</p><p>“Reno…” Her eyes were liquid. “I…”</p><p>The voice across the crowd was like a cold shower. “Guys! Hey, guys!”</p><p>Reno straightened up, cursing inwardly. The blonde in the distance was standing on her tiptoes, waving excitedly. Sometimes Elena’s timing was impeccable.</p><p>She wove through the other revellers, teetering on an impressively high set of heels, immune to the cold. Her silver dress sparkled under the festive lights from the stalls. He recognised two things straight away, the pink flush across her cheeks and nose that told him she was drunk, and the triumphant grin that curved across her glossy lips.</p><p>“Tifa! What are <em>you</em> doing here?”</p><p>Reno caught her eye over Tifa’s head. <em>Don’t you fucking dare.</em></p><p>“I’m here for New Year,” she replied uncertainly, oblivious to the silent conversation taking place. “My friend had to cancel his plans… he thought I might like to take his booking. Actually, you know him. Reeve? He used to work for Shinra.”</p><p>“Oh, I know Reeve… And you just <em>bumped</em> into Reno?” When Elena folded her arms, the goosebumps were visible on her skin. “Small world, huh?”</p><p>Tifa smiled nervously.</p><p>“Tifa’s here on her own,” Reno said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. “Thought she might want to meet up with us.”</p><p>Elena’s eyes glittered. When he got the chance, he was going to strangle her. </p><p>“How <em>sweet</em> of you,” she purred, hooking her arm through Tifa’s. “Well, Tifa. You’re not on your own anymore. Come on.”</p><p><em>What the fuck was she planning?</em> “Elena…”</p><p>“I found a stall that does the best Midgar martini I’ve ever tasted,” she said, ignoring Reno completely. “You like cocktails, right?”</p><p>He watched, helpless, as Elena dragged Tifa away.</p><p>“I wondered why she was so insistent we visit the fair,” came the bored voice behind him.</p><p>Reno turned. “Evening, sir.”</p><p>Tseng tilted his head in greeting. His shirt and blazer were pristine, although he’d forgone the tie and left his top buttons undone. His shoes shone.</p><p>“I see you’ve tried to make an effort,” he said, as though he was reading Reno’s mind.</p><p>Reno glanced down at his carefully dishevelled appearance. “I look great.”</p><p>“You look like a Sector Four punk,” Tseng replied as they headed after the girls.</p><p>“Well… I am.”</p><p>He smirked. “Not anymore.”</p><p>“I wore a shirt... Look, can we get the lecture over?”</p><p>Reno already knew where this conversation was headed.</p><p>“No lecture.”</p><p>“No? What happened to <em>‘you’re a Turk, Reno’?</em> Like I could ever forget.” The words carried a little more bite than he intended them to. He sighed. “Look… I know this is a bad idea, okay? So spare me the guilt-trip. I just… I don’t know. Let me get it out of my system.”</p><p>Tseng stared at him.</p><p>“No lecture?”</p><p>“Do you know what she said to me at Christmas?” Tseng asked, slowing to examine a selection of leather wallets. He selected one, flipping it open.</p><p>Reno recognised the tell. Tseng wasn’t a fidgeter, not unless he felt out of his depth. It rarely happened.  Alarm bells starting ringing.</p><p>Everyone in Rude’s building heard what Elena said on Christmas Day. She wasn’t particularly careful when she chewed him out. Reno settled his face into an expression of innocence. “No, sir.”</p><p>“She said you’re lonely.”</p><p>Reno laughed. “Lonely? Yeah… whatever.”</p><p>Tseng dropped the wallet back onto the display.</p><p>“I won’t warn you off Tifa Lockhart, Reno. I have concerns, but provided she doesn’t affect your work, I don’t care who you see in your free time.”</p><p>Reno knew that wasn’t the end. “But?”</p><p>“I am not Elena.”</p><p>“You know, I’d noticed that.”</p><p>“If you think she’s going to allow you to sabotage your own happiness, you are mistaken.”</p><p>Reno ground to a halt, hackles rising. “Sabotage my happiness? What kind of bullshit response is that?”</p><p>“She means well,” Tseng replied, continuing on. “Try to keep that in mind.”</p>
<hr/><p>It wasn’t the New Year’s Eve that Tifa imagined. Not by a long shot.</p><p>Elena still had her arm looped through hers, her second Midgar martini clutched in her hand. The neon green liquor sloshed around her cocktail glass, never quite making it over the rim. She reminded Tifa a lot of Yuffie, all smiles and laughter and chaotic energy. This wasn’t the suited Turk she remembered, who fought her in the tunnels below Midgar all those years ago.</p><p>No… this was a different creature entirely.</p><p>“I was in plaster for two weeks,” she continued, as they walked through the market. “But Reno came to visit me every day. Brought me coffee and helped clean my apartment and everything.”</p><p>“Really?” She glanced back. Reno was glaring at the back of Elena’s head, looking a lot like he wanted to relieve her of her drink and throw it over her. “You cleaned?”</p><p>“I washed a couple of dishes,” he replied.</p><p>When Tifa caught Tseng’s eye, he smiled politely. Something in his eyes suggested he was enjoying this.</p><p>“He can be really helpful... when he wants to be.” Elena stopped by a stall selling crystal figurines and Tifa bumped into her. “Oh… look how pretty these are.”</p><p>“He helped me, actually,” she replied. “I got stranded in the snow.”</p><p>Reno’s eyes narrowed. “Elena doesn’t need to-”</p><p>“Really?” Elena turned away from the figures, eyes bright. “Tell me <em>everything.</em>”</p><p>“Fuck’s sake,” muttered Reno.</p><p>“My car broke down,” Tifa explained. “He helped me carry my shopping home.”</p><p>“You never mentioned that.” Elena was peering at Reno now, her expression curious. “Check you out… being all knight in shin-”</p><p>He cut her off. “It wasn’t a big deal.”</p><p>“It really helped me out,” said Tifa.</p><p>Tifa decided not to mention the snowman. The scene didn’t exactly fit with the Turks’ image, Reno laughing with the kids in her snowy back garden. Besides, his mood had obviously soured. She wasn’t entirely sure why. Maybe he was embarrassed. Elena had barely taken a breath during her running commentary of how great he was, although Tifa got the feeling the stories were perhaps a little embellished. Reno looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up.</p><p>She wondered why he was so bothered. She thought it was sweet.</p><p>“Oh, hey! Remember the time we were down in Gongaga and there was the baby choc-”</p><p>“Elena,” said Tseng firmly, taking the glass from her hand. “Another drink, perhaps?”</p><p>“Please.” She smiled, turning back to Reno. “Was it Gongaga? Or Mideel?”</p><p>“Come on."</p><p>“But-”</p><p>“Elena.” Tseng grasped her shoulder, steering her away from Tifa’s side. “Come with me.”</p><p>Tifa watched them retreat. When she looked back at Reno, he was scratching his neck sheepishly.</p><p>“Elena’s very…”</p><p>“Dead.” He laughed, although there was little humour in the sound.</p><p>“Excited,” she corrected him.</p><p>He shrugged, staring at something behind her. “Guess you could call it that.”</p><p>“She makes you sound like a hero.”</p><p>“<em>Ha…</em> we both know that’s not true.”</p><p>The bitterness in his tone surprised her, so vastly removed from the man that had murmured flirtatious comments in her ear little over an hour before. His temper couldn’t just be down to Elena’s overzealous cheerleading. She looked behind her to see a group standing beside a food stall, waiting for service. They were all looking at Reno, pointing and whispering to each other.</p><p>She frowned. “What are they looking at?”</p><p>“Me,” he said simply. “Come on.”</p><p>“Shouldn’t we wait for-”</p><p>“Nah… I’ve had enough of this shit.”</p><p>He walked off, hands in his pockets. Tifa had to jog to keep up. “Reno... Wait.”</p><p>He slowed a little but didn’t stop, heading for the bonfire.</p><p>“Reno!”</p><p>“What?” He wheeled around, the firelight reflected in his eyes. His expression was impossible to read.</p><p>“What’s going on?”</p><p>“Nothing.”</p><p>She inhaled slowly. The smoke from the bonfire clawed at her throat. She had a lifetime of <em>‘nothing’</em> to contend with, and she wasn’t about to start the cycle again. “It doesn’t look like nothing.”</p><p>“Just leave it, okay?”</p><p>His mood swing threw her off balance. She pulled his jacket a little tighter around her. The leather was warm and heavy and smelt of his cologne. She breathed it in. Maybe she needed to approach from a different angle. </p><p>“Okay,” she said.</p><p>His shoulders slumped. “Look, I just… this isn’t how things were supposed to go.”</p><p>“How were they <em>supposed</em> to go?”</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“Those people…”</p><p>“Happens all the fucking time.” He turned away from her, walking closer to the fire. “I thought tonight would be different. I thought… I don’t know what I thought.”</p><p>The Turks weren’t popular in Edge, and she doubted they ever would be. She’d heard the regulars in the bar grumbling about their continued presence in the city. Some people were more willing to forgive than others, but the scars were deep. They’d never fade completely.</p><p>God knows it’d taken her long enough to move forward.</p><p>She reached out, caught by the hurt in his eyes. When her fingertips brushed his arm, he didn’t shrug her off. “It’s easy to get stuck in the past. People cling to it, even when it hurts.”</p><p>He didn’t reply.</p><p>“It’s easier sometimes. To stick with what you know.”</p><p>“Yeah, well…” He shrugged.</p><p>The moonlight was brighter than the glow from the bonfire. It picked out the high-points of his face, the tattoos that curved along his cheekbones. The flames still danced in his eyes, casting shadows across his blank expression.</p><p>“Tonight is different.”</p><p>Reno turned towards her. “Is it?”</p><p>“There you are!”</p><p>She looked up to see Elena and Tseng. He’d locked his arm firmly around her, a bottle of champagne in his other hand.</p><p>“It’s nearly midnight.” Elena glanced at Reno, the smile faltering on her lips. “Is everything-”</p><p>“Everything’s fine.” He pulled his arm free from Tifa’s, slinging it around her shoulders instead. His body was tense against her. “What’s the plan?”</p><p>“Fireworks?” asked Elena, eyeing them curiously.</p><p>Reno took the bottle out of Tseng’s hand and took a long pull. When he offered it to Tifa, he was grinning. It didn’t travel as far as his eyes. “Come on. Let’s go celebrate.”</p>
<hr/><p>He walked her back to her tent, the silence between them not entirely comfortable. Oh, he’d laughed and joked while the others were with them, fingers trailing absently along her arm, but she got the feeling he wasn’t entirely present, like the weight of the world was on his shoulders.</p><p>The weight of a Sector, at least.</p><p>The new year came and went in a blaze of rainbow colours, fireworks painting the frosty sky. The cracks and whistles set a tempo for the merry chatter of the crowd, thankfully devoid of any other angry onlookers. Tifa scanned the surrounding faces, seeking them out.</p><p>As the countdown to midnight started, her PHS rang. Denzel and Marlene on a video call, wanting to celebrate with her. Reno shrugged off her apologetic eyes with a small smile and gave her space to talk to them, wandering closer to the bonfire with his hands back in his pockets. Tseng was watching him the entire time, frowning at his downtrodden demeanour.</p><p>He pulled Reno aside, murmured something in his ear. Reno only shrugged in response. Whatever was going on in his head, he seemed determined to avoid the subject.</p><p>There were still fireworks in the sky as they neared her tent. She counted sparks, the stars, the neat, numbered signs staked into the ground… anything to distract her from the distance that suddenly seemed to have opened up between them.</p><p>Eventually, the numbers ran out.</p><p>“This is me,” she said. She reached for his jacket, still draped over her shoulders.</p><p>“Hang onto it.”</p><p>“Do you have far to go?”</p><p>“Nah.” He rubbed his fingers through his hair and pointed at the tent next door. “That’s mine.”</p><p>“Oh…”</p><p>“I’m gonna go for a walk or something.”</p><p>Tifa stared at the canvas hut, not entirely listening. The pieces were slowly falling into place.</p><p>“Well… goodnight,” he said, rocking on his heels.</p><p>“You planned this...”</p><p>His eyes widened. “No, I didn’t.”</p><p>Suddenly, the situation seemed ridiculous. She almost laughed. Here he was, the supposedly heartless Turk, jumping through hoops to score a date with her.</p><p>Instead, she asked the first question that came to mind. “Why didn’t you just <em>ask</em> me?”</p><p>“What?” He stopped fidgeting.</p><p>“Why didn’t you ask me? To come here?”</p><p>“You would’ve said no.” His tone suggested it was the most obvious answer in the world.</p><p>She squared up to him. “Oh? You know that, do you?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Well, you’re wrong.” The temperature had really nosedived now. She pulled his jacket a little tighter, and maybe it was the champagne, or the fireworks or the scent of him around her that made her braver. “I would’ve said yes.”</p><p>“No, you wouldn’t.”</p><p>“I would.”</p><p>He took a step closer. “If I asked you to come all the way to Cosmo Canyon for New Year’s, you would’ve said yes?”</p><p>“If you’d asked me on a <em>date,</em> I would’ve said yes.”</p><p>“This wasn’t a date.” There was warmth in his eyes now. The corner of his mouth twitched, the beginnings of a smirk, and he took another step towards her. “This was just two friends bumping into each other.”</p><p>She feigned surprise, glad of the thaw in the atmosphere between them. “You mean I got all dressed up for nothing?”</p><p>“Looks like it.”</p><p>He was close enough now that she could reach out and touch him. She resisted. “I guess this is goodnight then.”</p><p>“Guess so.” His smirk was sinful, his blue eyes wicked. “Unless…”</p><p>She leaned into him, barely daring to breathe.</p><p>“It’s my fault you’re all dressed up… Least I could do is help you get undressed.”</p><p>She must've heard hundreds of attempts just like that over the years, usually from drunk patrons as the end of the night drew near. Somehow, standing here, the words didn't seem so flippant.</p><p>She made light of it, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. “Really? That’s the line you’re going for?”</p><p>“Yeah.” He brushed her hair behind her ear, fingertips sliding along her jaw and her laughter died on her lips. “How about it, Lockhart?”</p><p>His proximity was making it difficult to think straight. She could feel his breath on her cheek. Reno tilted her chin upward. </p><p>“This is the part where you tell me you want me,” he said.</p><p>She exhaled slowly. “I-"</p><p>Reno kissed her.</p><p>Tifa melted into him, slipping her arms around his waist. His mouth was firm, working with a purpose as his fingers curled into the hair at her nape and pinned her to him. His other arm wound around her, hand splayed against the small of her back and dragging her closer still.</p><p>Heat spiralled through her, and she opened her mouth to him. They were moving, stumbling across the icy ground. Her back hit the canvas behind her and his hands steadied them both without coming up for air. She braced her palms against his chest, forcing space between them, and had just enough time to unzip the tent before he was on her again.</p><p>“Reno!” She gasped as his mouth found her throat and his hands grabbed her waist.</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“The <em>door.”</em></p><p>He released his grip on her, turning to zip the flap shut with a sarcastic flourish. “Happy?”</p><p>She nodded, breathless. </p><p>Reno yanked his jacket from her shoulders and threw it aside, running his hands along the silk at her waist. “I like this.”</p><p>He rendered the sentiment void almost instantly, fingers reaching for the fastening between her shoulder-blades. He kissed her again, cutting off her murmur of protest at his icy fingers. His mouth was softer this time, warm and sweet.</p><p>Distracted, she didn’t realise the ploy until it was too late. Cool air hit her skin as her dress slid over her hips and pooled at her feet.</p><p>“Fuck,” he groaned, hands skimming down her arms and lower, to the bare skin exposed at the top of her boots. His eyes were burning, drinking her in.</p><p>She stared at the crumpled silk on the ground, her body flushed and her knees weak. Calloused fingers trailed along her inner thighs, following the path of the black lace that cut high across her hips to curve around her ass as he pulled her against him again.</p><p>Her mouth was dry. “Reno…”</p><p>This time, his mouth was more insistent, all heat and teeth and tongue. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back just as urgently. When the back of her thighs hit the bed, he shoved her and she fell, landing on her elbows on the mattress, stomach trembling from the exertion of keeping herself upright.</p><p>Reno leaned over her, one hand grasping the back of her knee to draw it up and out, prising her legs apart. When he settled between them, the friction from his jeans sent sensation coursing through her. Too much, and nowhere near enough. He ignored her breathless cry, littering kisses along her jaw. When his lips grazed the shell of her ear, she shivered.</p><p>“I want to fuck you in these,” he gritted out, his fingers slowly tracing the top of her boot. He swept them along her thigh, pressing the tips to the damp spot she could already feel leaking through her underwear.</p><p>Her body’s reaction to his blunt words surprised her, desire pooling in her core. He could do whatever he wanted, she didn’t care. She ached for him, bucking her hips and trying to find the pressure she needed. His fingertips were maddeningly light still, and he laughed, pressing a far-too-chaste kiss to her throat.</p><p>“Reno,” she pleaded, writhing against the throws and cushions.</p><p>“Tell me what you want.”</p><p>She shook her head, eyes sliding shut. His mouth found her pulse, tongue and teeth rasping over the flutter in her throat. His fingers rubbed her a little more firmly through the lace.</p><p>“<em>Ah…</em> Reno…”</p><p>
  <em> “Tell me.” </em>
</p><p>Her hands reached for the collar of his shirt, fumbling at the buttons. She couldn’t meet his eye. “Take this off.”</p><p>He kissed her collarbone, swatting her hands away. Leaning on his elbow, he unbuttoned his shirt one-handed. She dragged it down his shoulders, running her palms over the contours of his arms. He was all lean muscle, his torso littered with scars. She traced them with her fingers, following the lines of his chest and abs until they found his belt. </p><p>His stomach tensed when she slipped beneath it. “And this...”</p><p>Reno kissed her again and stood up to undo the buckle. Cool air replaced his warm fingers, and she pressed her thighs together, trying to relieve the pressure that pulsed along her nerves. He kicked his shoes aside, and they thudded across the floor. </p><p>“And?” There was a glint in his eye. He was enjoying this far too much.</p><p>She couldn’t bring herself to say it.</p><p>“What else?”</p><p>Tifa squeezed her eyes shut.</p><p>“Kiss me,” she whispered.</p><p>He ducked to press a wet kiss to the sensitive spot below her hipbone, unbuttoning his fly. Her eyes snapped open, and she twisted away from him, gasping. When he shimmied out of his jeans, hopping on one foot, she couldn’t help but laugh. He raised his eyebrows.</p><p>“What’re you laughing at?” he asked, stalking towards her.</p><p>Tifa bit her lip. There was absolutely nothing funny about the bulge in his underwear. She stared, eyes wide.</p><p>Reno held his hand out, still feigning indignation. She took it and he dragged her upright, crushing his mouth against hers. The kiss left her dizzy. He grazed his teeth along her bottom lip, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra with a flick of his fingers. When he tossed it aside, she barely had time to process the chill on her skin before his mouth closed around her, tongue swirling across her puckered nipple as he pressed her back into the mattress and nudged her thighs apart with his knee.</p><p>There was a foil packet in the hand that supported his weight on the bed. She stared at it.</p><p>“Two friends… just <em>bumping</em> into each other,” she said wryly.</p><p>“Can’t hurt to be prepared.” He pinched her other nipple, and she yelped, arching into him. He trailed his fingers along her ribcage. “Why?”</p><p>“What if I’d said no?”</p><p>He smirked. “You wouldn’t.”</p><p>“What makes you so—<em>ah…”</em> </p><p>He slipped his fingers below the hem of her underwear, dragging them along her slick folds. Her breath caught in her throat when they resumed their slow circles, <em>exactly</em> where she needed him to. She fisted her hands in his hair, pulling his mouth down over hers, whimpering against him as the pressure built again, achingly slow.</p><p>“You like that, huh?” He shifted his weight to balance on his knees, ripping the foil open with his teeth.</p><p>He pressed his finger into her, and she threw her head back, writhing against him. He grinned, obviously pleased with himself. She reached for him, squeezing his length through the smooth material of his boxer shorts.</p><p>Reno grunted. Spurred on by his reaction, she slid her hand below his waistband and wrapped her fingers around his cock.</p><p><em>“Ah…</em> Tifa…”</p><p>She rolled her fingers over the tip. His skin was slick and hot. He was rock hard in her palm.</p><p>“I want this,” she murmured, squeezing a little tighter, working her fist up and down. The sound that left his lips was incoherent. He jerked his hips, thrusting into her palm. <em>“Please…”</em></p><p>That breathless little plea undid him. He pulled away long enough to roll the condom on before sinking into her.</p><p>Tifa keened, her greedy little cunt clenching around his cock, and it took every shred of self-control he possessed not to give in. He ran his hand along her calf, her suede boot soft beneath his palm, and forced her knee closer to her chest, letting him inch a little deeper.</p><p>“Say it again,” he growled, nipping her earlobe. The strands of hair that fell free from her updo tickled his face.</p><p>“Please,” she begged.</p><p>Bracing against her thigh, he dug his fingers into her hips and dragged her into position. Her legs looked unbelievably long. One against his shoulder, heel pointed to the ceiling, the other stretched out alongside him. Her stiletto bit into his calf when she squirmed.</p><p>Reno slicked his tongue along his fingers, watching her burgundy eyes flutter as she ground herself against him, and stroked them against her clit again. When he rolled his hips, her urgent moan shattered him completely.</p><p>This time he didn’t hold back, setting a faster tempo as he thrust into her. She cried and mewled under him, the pretty pink flush spreading along her chest. Her skin was salty against his lips when he kissed her and her fingers wrenched at anything they could reach, the fur beneath her, his hair, his hips...</p><p>He could feel his own release building, the pressure almost unbearable. She was writhing now and her voice was more desperate, her nails cutting crescents into his hips. He carried on stroking his fingers over her, coaxing her closer and closer, and when she came apart around him he lost control, chasing the high he was rapidly approaching.</p><p>He groaned her name as he came, body shuddering and slick with sweat. Tifa trembled beneath him, eyes blown out and glassy, and he captured her mouth, kissing her slowly until his heartbeat slowed and the tension drained out of his arms.</p><p>Her legs were shaking, hooked around him. He eased out of her grip, enjoying her murmur of discomfort as she straightened out. She flexed her hips, and he squeezed the back of her thigh affectionately, joining her on the mattress.</p><p>When she reached for the zipper on her boot, she pointedly refused to meet his eye. Ever the gentleman, he disposed of the spent condom and helped her out of her footwear. “That was…”</p><p>“Don’t start,” she warned him, pressing her face into the fur beneath them. Her cheeks were scarlet.</p><p>He ran his hand along her bare leg. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”</p><p>Her smile was half-hidden by the ivory fur. Her eyes shone.</p><p>Reno made himself comfortable, trailing his fingers along the curve of her waist. She edged a little closer, pressing a sleepy kiss to his shoulder. The bed wasn’t quite big enough for two, and that was absolutely fine by him. Physical exertion left him comfortably warm, helped along by the lithe form stretched out alongside him. Her dark hair tickled his bicep as she settled against his shoulder.</p><p>He wrapped his arm around her, enjoying the feel of her skin. Maybe he’d leave in a little while. Maybe, if he stayed, there would be a round two.</p><p>“Happy New Year,” Tifa murmured, closing her eyes.</p><p>He grinned. It was shaping up to be.</p><p><br/>
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